Railroad-splice eor railroad-track bars



O. HILTON. WROUGHT IRON RAIL SPLIGE.

No. 23,026. Patented Feb. 22, 1859.

UITE

CHARLES HILTON, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

RAILROAD-SPLICE FOR RAILROAD-TRACK BARS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 23,026, dated February 22, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HILTON, of the city of Albany, State of NewYork, have invented a new Wrought-Iron Rail-Splice for Railroad-TrackBars; and I declare the following specification, with the drawingshereto attached as part of the same, to be a full and completedescription thereof.

Figure 1 represents a side or profile view of my apparatus; Fig. 2 across section at 00, :1 Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a perspective view of the railsand splice as viewed from below; Fig. 4 is a plan, with one of the railsremoved; Figs. 5 and 6 a plan of the gib and wedge. Fig. 7 is a crosssection like that of Fig. 2, showing another mode of shaping the splice.

Similar letters in the different figures denote the same parts of theapparatus.

It is well known that in the construction of railroads for the purposeof preserving the level of the rails, and to keep the ends of the barswhich head upon each other in line as to their upper edges and surfaces,so as to be prevented from settling down under the pressure of the carswhen passing over them; it is necessary to adopt some efficientsecurity, other than the mere cross-ties on which the rails lie. Thishas been done sometimes by putting an iron plate or chair, reaching somedistance, under the ends of the rails, the plate or chair itself lyingon a broad cross tie. The liability of the cross tie itself to settle bypressure of the loads passing on the rails rendered this a futilecontrivance. A better plan used has been to clamp the rails together byfiat bars of iron, called fish-plates, lying opposite to each other inthe thin part of the rails between the tread and the base and secured together by screw bolts or rivets. Even this plan has not proved to bereliable, for the rails have settled at their point of junction for wantof sufficient depth in the fish-plates. My invention proposes to remedythese defects.

A, B, represents the two rails to be secured to each other; a, 0 thefisl1plates, which extend in length about twelve inches, that is, sixinches from the junction of the rails each way. They are shaped so as toembrace the rail from the lower part of the swell of the tread at 6 (seeFigs. 2 and 3) along the side surface of the rail to f and then projectsperpendicularly down below the bottom of the rail to (Z. In the lowercenter portion of these fish-plates opposite the junction of the railsis cut a slot about three and ahalf inches long and of depth suflicientto admit of the insertion of a substantial gib g, and wedge k, whichtogether form a firm seat or rest for the ends of the rails. Thefish-plates are also bolted or riveted at each end we, (or if necessarywith additional bolts) so as to clamp them firmly to the rails.

The gib and wedge, (see Figs. 4:, 5, 6,) are provided with rows of holesappropriately arranged for the insertion of a check pin 7) to hold thewedge from sliding back when driven up.

The apparatus or splice thus'constructed can be placed between any twoof the cross ties of the road. I

Instead of forming the fish-plates as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 by carryingdown their sides from 6 along the rail, and from f perpendicularly belowthe rail, I can construct the splice as shown in Fig. 7, that is,

by making it in its cross section a loop dropping below the rail andpassing around and over the tread embracing it closely and terminatingat n-introducing the gib and wedge into a slot placed as described inthe first mode of construction; putting the gib above and wedge below.This plan will notrequire bolts through the plates and rail.

WVhat I deem to be the peculiar advantages of the mode, above describedof securing the ends of the rails are: I, that the extension of the fishplates below the rails adds very much to their stiffness and to theirresistance to depression; II, that the sup port afiorded by the broadgib and wedge applied directly under the junction of the rails; and thefacility with which through them the stress and bearing of the fishplates can be adjusted and retained, makes the settlement of the ends ofthe bars almost an impossibility; III, that should from any cause thebars settle, they can be restored to position with the least possibledelay and trouble.

I do not claim the use of the plates n01 substantially in manner and forthe purthe wlledgi e broadly, but poses set forth in the Withinspecification. I (.0 c aim T Deep wrought iron fish plates secured toCHAS HILTON 5 the sides of the rails by bolts or keys, and Witnesses:

extending downward below the base of the RICHD. VARAH DE WITT, rail, incombination with the gib and wedge E. J. MILLER.

